Tsar Nicholas II Alexander Palace

Within the Imperial retreat of the great palace of Tsarskoe Selo, near St. Petersburg, is Alexander Palace, the residence of the last Tsar of Russia, Nicholas II and his family. The graceful Neoclassical building was commissioned by Catherine the Great for her favourite grandson, the future emperor Alexander I of Russia and was built between 17921796 by the renowned Italian architect, Giacomo Quarenghi. Upon becoming Tsar, Alexander gave the palace to his brother, the future Nicholas I as a summer retre